In a shocking move, the Republican–led House Homeland Security Committee formally silenced Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R–Ga.) on Wednesday after she launched a personal attack against Democratic colleagues during a hearing with Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
The hearing quickly devolved into chaos when Greene accused Rep. Eric Swalwell (D–Calif.) of having an extramarital affair with a Chinese spy. Despite protests from Democrats, the committee chairman, Rep. Mark Green (R–Tenn.), refused to strike her words.
But when Greene then accused Mayorkas of lying about preventing the flow of fentanyl into the US, Green ruled that her words violated House rules and formally silenced her.
The incident has sparked outrage among Republicans, who accuse Democrats of silencing Greene and preventing her from speaking the truth. Greene herself took to Twitter to express her anger, saying:
“Republicans will never defeat the Democrats, we’ll never impeach Mayorkas, we’ll never impeach Biden, and we’ll never implement our conservative agenda if we can’t even call a liar a liar. Republicans should not let Democrats strike down our words and do their bidding for them.”
The incident is just the latest in a string of controversial comments from Greene, who has become known for her willingness to speak out against the Democratic Party. Greene recently came to the defense of Massachusetts Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira, who was arrested in connection with a classified documents leak. Greene tweeted that Teixeira was an “enemy to the Biden regime” because he was “white, male, Christian, and antiwar.”
In response, Swalwell accused Greene of promoting “hate, bigotry, and division” and said: “I’m sorry, Marge, being white, male, and Christian is not license to betray your country and put the lives of thousands at risk.”
It seems clear that Republican lawmakers are growing increasingly frustrated with Greene’s willingness to speak her mind and her refusal to back down in the face of criticism. This latest incident could be the final straw for some and could lead to a more serious reprimand for Greene in the future.
